Centre of attention

Ed Russo @edwardrusso

Sunday

May 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM

The chain link fence around the empty Centre Court building in downtown Eugene is more than just a fence to Toby Barwood; It’s a sign that the long anticipated renovation of the landmark building is about to start.

“It’s fabulous,” said Barwood, an architect, whose office is next door in the Washburne Building near Broadway and Willamette Street.

The Centre Court’s owner and developer, Beam Development of Portland, has filed for building permits with the city, and expects to begin renovating the five-story building within the next couple of months. Presently, the firm is gutting the building’s interior.

Beam two years ago bought the Centre Court and Washburne buildings with the city’s help. However, the recession hit Oregon and the country hard soon afterward, delaying the renovation.

“I never thought it would have taken this so long, but given where we were at with the state of the economy, I think we are making great progress,” Pete Eggspuehler, Beam’s real estate development director, said late last week.

City leaders and downtown boosters view the project as important to potentially sparking redevelopment along the economically anemic stretch of Broadway between Willamette and Charnelton streets.

Rick Duncan, the owner of a property appraisal firm downtown and a member of the city’s planning commission, said the Centre Court project could give Eugene a boost of self confidence.

“It’s important to see development in the downtown core,” he said. “We’re coming out of a poor economy that appears to be strengthening, and we need to start seeing construction and infrastructure development so we can show that we are moving forward as a community.”

Since late last year, Beam’s contractor, Hyland Construction of Springfield, has been doing Centre Court demolition work.

Late last week, Hyland crews were gutting the building’s interior. A portion of the roof was gone, some of the upper windows were removed and first floor awnings were removed.

Once building permits are secured, Eggspuehler said, work will start on the outside of the building, including the removal of the stucco facade to expose the original brick exterior, the installation of new windows and a new roof.

After the exterior work is done and the building is “buttoned up and water tight,” Eggspuehler said, the inside will be renovated so tenants can start moving in next spring.

Eggspuehler said he hopes to announce in July the names of the first three Centre Court tenants. They could include office tenants for the upper floors and retailers for the first floor, he said.

One of the possible office tenants could be PIVOT Architecture, which had previously disclosed that it wants to rent up to 9,000-square feet in the remodeled building. PIVOT now rents second- floor offices in the Washburne Building from Beam.

Barwood, an architect and one of PIVOT’s six owners, said executives are still negotiating the lease with Beam.

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